The Cake Is A Lie

Dear Joccie,

A while back I saw a picture of a piece of cake with the words “The Cake Is A Lie.”  Something about this has stuck with me as I’ve started my new job, we’ve moved, and seemingly started our new lives.  The idea that the cake is going to bring eternal happiness once we’ve eaten it, is the lie.  It’s the same as thinking once I find a new job, or we move into a better house, or I make more money, or we have a new object or technology, our lives will be transformed into some kind of eternal bliss.  We’ve slowly learned, one myth at a time, these are all lies.

Lent

Dear Jocelyn,

We have just entered the season of Lent in the Christian calendar.  Lent is a tough season, in which we prepare to give up a part of ourselves the way our Messiah did.  Christian tradition looks back on the Messiah as He walked the long road to Jerusalem, the place where He knew He would lay His life down. 

The Devil Inside

Dear Cecilia,

A couple of years ago I wrote a different blog.  One day at work, I got angry and frustrated with some co-workers who were being manipulative and degrading to some other co-workers.  I sat down and threw some words on that blog likening my evil co-workers to the two old men from the Muppet Show; they just sit back and hurl insults, fear and shaming others into submission while staying away from the danger of performing. 

Why, How, What

Dear Jeremiah,

I figured out what’s wrong with me…well, sort of, on one small level.  I was watching a TED talk last week and Simon talked about this “Golden Circle.”  It’s a target of three circles, with the center circle labeled “why,” the middle circle “how,” and the exterior circle “what.”  Simon says that most people live from the outside in, from “what” to “how,” but often never get to “why”.  This is why Dennis and I talk about following work around the country and living out of our pop up.  This is “what” and “how.”  We talk about this not because we want to live out of our pop up, but because we want to live! We want to travel and see the world, experience new, different, and awesome thing; and to share it with you.  That’s the “why.”

Season of Epiphany

Dear Abigail,

According to the church calendar, it is the season of Epiphany.  Epiphany means “manifestation,” therefore, this season we celebrate the visible or outward expression of The Almighty in the form of the Messiah.  It is the continuation of the incarnation, God with us, as the Messiah spent some years living with mankind.  The Messiah came to show us the way, the how to live and live more abundantly.

Duck Dynasty: The Easy Way

Dear Jocelyn,

The easy thing to do when things like the Duck Dynasty situation happens is voice our support, and boycott the tyrannical institutions who censor those who are just giving their opinion, especially of the Bible.  And much of the church has stood up in support of the Duck Dynasty, calling on freedom of speech and leaving the television network view audience.  Again, this is the easy thing to do.

Be Fruitful and Multiply

Blessing is the primary mechanism that G-d passes Its image (thoughts, feelings, purpose of identity and destiny) to a person or people.

Dear Cecilia,

It’s the week before Thanksgiving, the time of year we recognize the things we are thankful for.  These are things we would call blessings.  We have been blessed with much, a house, food, good health, bring sustained for another year.  We usually identify our blessings as things we possess.

Ears to Hear

Dear Abigail,

Back when I was in college I was reading about the end of the world.  I remember in a text book there were four theories in which the “end of the world” would happen; and three of them I was familiar with.  The three had this rapture take place at different points in this thing called the great tribulation.

Being the Bully

Dear Jocelyn,

Hazing (the practice of playing unpleasant tricks on someone or forcing someone to do unpleasant things) has been around for quite a long time I’d guess, and it’s usually done as a rite of passage for one to enter a group of piers.  To bully is to be habitually cruel to others who are weaker than yourself to gain approval, praise, or to get them to do something that is not sincere; and has surely been around since the beginning of time.

God’s Word

God’s Word

I did another guest post for Bible Dude, hope you check it out!